I did it. I’m no longer a Wicked virgin. Hooray! I’m so glad that I finally got to see the show! So, my seat was in row A, way stage right. Some of the views were limited, but that’s okay because the show was still fabulous. When she sat down, the lady next to me said “did you realize you were going to be this close?” I said “of course!” and I continue to be shocked that she didn’t realize as much. With how fast the tickets sold for the show, I don’t understand how you could get front-row seats not on purpose. She also mispronounced “Elphaba” before the show, so that helped shed some light on the situation. Clearly not someone who follows musical theater or has ever seen the Tonys. The theater is for everyone, don’t get me wrong, but her seats were slightly closer to center stage than mine, and I’m jealous.
Okay, so my reaction: I loved it! It was phenomenal and amazing and everything it’s ever been cracked up to be. Afterward, I immediately texted a friend that I wanted to see it 67 more times. The only beef I had with the show was the Wizard. To put it as nicely as I can, he sucked. His choreography isn’t even actual dancing, and he looked like an awkward robot attempting to mimic human behavior. Oh my gosh, it was terrible. Luckily, for his sake, Elphaba (who, by the way, was played by the phenomenal standby) and Glinda were so good that I didn’t have a whole lot of time during the show to focus on how awkward the Wizard was. I mean, this is a role which was originated by Joel Grey. The bar is set high – let’s rise to the occasion, shall we? It’s not that he was a bad singer or even a particularly terrible actor, it was his movements during the songs. Gah! He was such a robot and it was so distracting! If I’m able to win tickets through the lottery and see the show again before it leaves North Carolina, I’m hoping it’s his understudy who goes on for the Wizard.
Other than that, I thought the cast was AMAZING. Glinda was spot-on perfect and made me laugh out loud so many times (and I’m a loud laugher), and the standby for Elphaba rocked it from beginning to end. She was so amazing with a voice that rivals Idina herself. I was totally in awe the whole time. The sets! The costumes! The dancing! The singing! Although I was confused by the number of men in skirts. Oh, well, I guess that’s just how they roll at Shiz.
Lastly, I would like to say that I think that this musical was a beautiful adaptation from the novel. Like I stated previously, I was really hoping that the show kept the soul of the novel, and I really feel like it did. Sure, a bunch of major plot points were different, but the general ambiance and feel were there, perfectly intact. At the show, as always, I purchased a poster and a souvenir program – and inside the front cover of the program is a note written by Gregory Maguire about his feelings on the musical and how it was adapted from his amazing novel. I really appreciated the things he said, and after the show, I must say that I agree with him wholeheartedly, and the musical is something he can be proud of as an extension of his work as an author. And it’s something that I, as a die-hard Broadway fan, can be proud to have as a decade-long shining example of the most popular thing on the Great White Way.
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